"Help me!"
Emma Dayton screamed.
She just went to use the restroom, and the next thing she knew, some stranger shoved her into a car.
"Shut up!" The car screeched to a halt. The driver— a trendy-looking young woman— yanked her straight into an elevator.
"She's here," the woman muttered into her phone, keeping a death stare on Emma, clearly scared she'd bolt.
Emma’s gut screamed something was wrong. Suddenly, she lunged, aiming a chokehold at the woman's neck.
The woman totally didn’t see it coming—staggered back in shock, and one of her earrings flew off.
Right then, the elevator doors slid open. Emma bolted—
But someone was already waiting. A man tackled her head-on and dragged her straight into the presidential suite.
Thud. Door locked.
Dark. Pitch black. What the hell was this place?
She fumbled for the light switch—nothing. Probably smashed on purpose.
Emma's eyes strained in the dark, desperately trying to make sense of her surroundings. Then a weird, sweet smell hit her nose. Next second, her whole body turned to jelly. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed.
Just before passing out, she saw a figure stepping slowly toward her.
Light flooded the room.
In the soft orange glow, Emma lay still on the giant bed. Her long black hair spilled over the pillow, one strand brushing her clear forehead. Eyes shut tight, her dark lashes cast gentle shadows on her flawless cheeks—utterly captivating.
Next to the bed stood a tall man. His eyes were deep, cold, almost unreadable. He stared at her quietly, gaze lingering on her delicate face.
"What's the matter? Having second thoughts already?" came a teasing voice.
It was Henry Collins, white coat and all, giving the man a knowing smirk.
The man didn’t say a word, just leaned slightly, shadows darkening his eyes, and lazily poured himself some red wine.
"The results?" he asked.
"Perfect match. She’s exactly who you’ve been looking for," Henry replied after subtly watching the man's reaction. Then he grinned, casual as ever. "Healthy, young, super high chance of getting pregnant. You want the natural way or medical route?"
The man replied coolly, "You can leave now."
"Natural means… you gotta sleep with her. You seriously considering that?" Henry rested his chin on his hand, clearly not in a rush to go.
Figures. A girl this pure and pretty, what guy wouldn't be tempted? And here he was—choosing natural? Damn.Rumor had it that he never showed interest in women, even had a bit of a repulsion toward them. Still a virgin to this day—was he really about to break that vow for her?
"Still not leaving?" The man paused with his wine halfway to his lips, face as expressionless as ever.
Henry Collins gave a slight shake of his head, looking a little uneasy. "You catching feelings or something?"
"You think I’m some dumb kid?" the man shot back, clearly annoyed. Falling in love wasn’t in the cards for him—it just wasn’t wired into his system.
Henry let out a soft scoff, unsettled. "If she finds out what you're doing... what do you think she'll do? I mean, she’s completely clean, you know?"
"She’ll figure it out sooner or later," the man replied coolly, lips barely curling into a smile.
His eyes flickered with a strange intensity. Henry raised a brow, probing deliberately. "So… do you want her pregnant to get what you want? Or you actually enjoying the process of knocking her up?"
"Are you always this mouthy?" Annoyance flashed across his face as he cut Henry off with a warning glare. "Wanna take a vacation in Africa for a couple of years before thinking about settling down?"
"Alright, alright, I’m out! I’ll leave you to your baby-making business!" Henry shrugged, biting back another joke. Realizing he’d pushed far enough, he turned to go—and even did the man a favor by locking the door behind him to make sure no one barged in.
Hot and cold at once—Emma Dayton felt like her body wasn’t hers anymore. Her sleep was restless, filled with a weird discomfort.
Suddenly, something heavy pressed on her shoulder. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt impossibly heavy. Somewhere close, a young male voice murmured in her ear, “Give me a baby…”
"Who… who are you?" she whispered nervously, struggling to move. She flailed weakly, arms swinging through the air with no strength behind her punches.
Was this all a bad dream? But everything felt way too real…
She sensed someone tall looming over her.
She couldn’t make out his face—he wore a silver mask.
His fingers were cold like ice as they lifted her chin. The air around her seemed to freeze.
"No... don’t come any closer!" Her voice cracked as she shouted with what strength she had.
"You’re saying no to me?" His eyes flicked with something unreadable. Seeing she was still out cold, the man reached out and held her face in his hand, quietly taking her in.
Yeah, there was no mistaking it—she was that woman’s daughter. Looked just like her back when she was young. Same stunning beauty. Same dangerous charm.
A cynical smirk curved his lips, and a gleam of amusement lit up his eyes...